Floor structure

ABSTRACT

A floor structure for covering an ice rink and comprising elements adapted to be joined together by means of a key and tongue, characterized in that it comprises elements each of which has a wooden core and is covered on all sides by a vapor-tight material, preferably plastics.

*1 United States Patent 1 1 1 Christensen 1 1March 13, 1973 1 1 FLOOR STRUCTURE 3,150,032 9/1964 Rubenstein ..52/DIG.7

3,145,502 8/1964 Rubenstein [75] Inventor: Poul Sondergaard Christensen, 3,579,410 5/1971 Barrett Ronde, Denmark 3,579,941 5/1971 Tibbals ..52/390 Assignee: Bruun 8: Sorensen A/S, Aaboulevarden, Aarhus, Denmark Filed: Feb. 22, 1971 Appl. No.: 117,674

Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 20, 1970 Denmark ..835

U.S. Cl. ..52/309, 52/393, 52/589, 4 52/593, 56/624, 94/35 Int. Cl. ..E04f 15/06 Field of Search ..94/3, 35, 13, 4; 52/589, 309, 52/403, 408, 409, 393, 390, 391, 392, 595, 594, 593, 592, 591; 161/37, 38, 39; 117/116 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 10/1915 Hopkinson ..94/13 OTHER PUBLICATIONS German printed application DAS 1137851 October 1962.

Primary ExaminerJohn E. Murtagh Attorney-Fleit, Gipple & Jacobson 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 39 \ISP//// N 23 F-i1 27 23 25V 34 27 PATENTEDNARI 3l573 3,720,027

INVENTOR Paul 5. Clarisensen BY 97; gy @fim/am ATTORNEYS noon STRUCTURE This invention relates to a floor structure for covering an icerink and comprising elements adapted to be joined together bymeans of a key and tongue. This floor structure aims at increasing the utilization ratio of centers which are normally used as skating rinks, by providing a floor space which in case of special arrangements such as handball matches, gymnastic shows and the like, can rapidly be put down directly on top of the ice surface. I

Such a floor must meet a number of quite specific requirements, in that it shall not only be resistant to the rather extraordinary conditions with respect to temperature and moisture but shall also be easy and rapid to put down and so cheap in production that it will be a paying proposition for an ice rink center to acquire it.

It is the aim of this invention to provide a floor structure by means of which the said specific advantages are achieved, and this aim has been accomplished by providing floor elements each of which has a wooden core and is covered on all sides by a vapor-tight material, preferably plastics.

The use of a wooden core makes the element relatively cheap because in proportion to dimensions and strength wood is a low cost material, besides which'the elasticity of wood makes it suitable for a floor structure. If this wooden core is carefully covered on all sides by a vapor-tight material moisture is prevented from penetrating to the wood and destroying it. Moreover a good seal between the individual elements will be obtained because also the surface portions constituted by the key and tongue are covered by the vapor tight material.

A floor structure like this might in fact be put down directly on the icerink, but it may be desirable to obtain extra resiliency and it may also be an advantage to provide increased insulation to prevent the dissipation of heat to the icerink and this may conveniently be done according to the invention by covering the under surface of the element with a padding of elastically resilient, water-impermeable and heat-insulating material. This padding on the under face of the floor element may be of any suitable material, but according to the invention it will be particularly expedient to make the padding from foamed plastics with closed pores. On account of the character of this material moisture cannot penetrate through it and the padding will be of a satisfactory resiliency, partly as a result of the elastic properties of the material itself, partly as a result ofthe compressibility of the gas contained in the pores.

The enclosure of the wooden core in a complete coat of plastics may be performed in various ways, for instance by direct moulding, but in a very expedient embodiment of the invention a sheet of plastics is attached to the upper and under surfaces while the edge faces are covered by plastics fillets in which the key and tongue are provided. This procedure is simple and cheap, particularly because the plastics sheets may be ordinary calendered or extruded material; the plastics fillets for covering the edge faces of the wooden core may be made by extrusion and as the key and tongue are to be provided in the fillets the wooden core shall have the simple form of a parallelepiped.

It will be expedient according to the invention to glue the cover sheets on to the upper and lower faces of the cores, while the fillets, besides being glued might also be wedged on the edge faces of the core and moreover:

By a suitable construction of the key-tongue connection a safe joint between'the elements may be provided, and besides the key-tongue joint it will be expedient according to the invention to provide a rigid frame enclosing the total floor area. This ensures that the elements will be retained in the proper position relatively to each other without any other mode of attachment which might affect the complete seal of the wooden core.

The invention will be explained here in greater detail with reference to the drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows a corner of a floor structure according to the invention, and

FIGS. 2 and 3 show two different embodiments of the elements of a floor structure according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a corner of a floor structure comprising a plurality of elements 1 and 2, elements 1 being provided with a tongue along all four edges and elements 2 with corresponding keys along all four edges.

The whole of the floor area of the structure is enclosed in a rigid frame 5 which holds the elements effectively in position.

FIG. 2 presents a vertical section through adjoining edges of two elements 11 and 12 corresponding to elements 1 and 2 in FIG. 1. Each element comprises a wooden core, 15 and 16 respectively, and the core 15 has a tongue 13 along its edges while the core 16 is provided with keys along its edges. The cores 15 and 16 are completely covered by a layer of vapor-tight plastics material, 17 and 18 respectively, and the dimensions of the tongue 13 and the key 14 are adapted to the thickness of the cover sheets 17 and 18 so'that key and tongue with coating will fit tightly. To the under face of each element has further been glued a padding 19 of foamed plastics with closed pores, so that each element rests on the ice rink by means of this padding 19. 7

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of such elements, 21 and 22 respectively, which also comprise a wooden core, 25 and 26 respectively, and the element 21 is provided with a recess 33 along the edges in which is inserted a barbed gluing fillet 30 of an edge fillet 32 which is provided also with a tongue 23 and is moreover glued to the edge face of the wooden core 25. The upper and under surfaces of the core 25 are covered by gas-tight plastics sheets 27, and to the under face of the whole element is attached a padding 29 of foamed plastics with closed pores. The element 22 is provided in its side faces with a recess 34 in which is inserted a barbed gluing fillet 36 of an edge fillet 37 formed with a key 39, and also the element 22 is covered on the upper and under surfaces by agas-tight plastics sheet 37 and on the under face by a foamed plastics padding 29. All parts are glued securely together so that the wooden core is effectively protected against moisture, and in the form shown here the elements can be deposited directly on the ice rink. It should be noted that, besides providing a certain elasticity, the use of the padding 19 and 29 also ensures that the temperature of the floor surface will always be maintained above the dew point ofthe air in the room.

What we claim is:

1. A floor structure for covering an ice rink comprising floor elements adapted to be joined together by means of key and tongue joining elements, each floor element comprising a wooden core, gas-tight plastic sheets covering the upper and lower surfaces of said wooden core, and gas-tight plastic fillets having one of said key and tongue joining elements covering the edge of said wooden core such that said wooden core is completely covered by gas-tight plastic material.

2. A floor structure according to claim 1 wherein said plastic sheets are glued to the upper and lower surfaces of said wooden core and said plastic fillets are glued to the edges ofsaid wooden core and to the edges of said plastic sheets.

3. A floor structure according to claim 2 wherein said plastic fillets have a longitudinal wedge and are further connected to said wooden core by said longitudinal wedge.

4. A floor structure according to claim 3 wherein said longitudinal wedge is barbed.

5. A floor structure according to claim 1 wherein each floor element is provided on the surface contacting the ice rink with a padding of elastically resilient, water-impermeable and heat-insulating foamed plastics with closed pores.

* a u: m 

1. A floor structure for covering an ice rink comprising floor elements adapted to be joined together by means of key and tongue joinIng elements, each floor element comprising a wooden core, gas-tight plastic sheets covering the upper and lower surfaces of said wooden core, and gas-tight plastic fillets having one of said key and tongue joining elements covering the edge of said wooden core such that said wooden core is completely covered by gas-tight plastic material.
 1. A floor structure for covering an ice rink comprising floor elements adapted to be joined together by means of key and tongue joinIng elements, each floor element comprising a wooden core, gas-tight plastic sheets covering the upper and lower surfaces of said wooden core, and gas-tight plastic fillets having one of said key and tongue joining elements covering the edge of said wooden core such that said wooden core is completely covered by gas-tight plastic material.
 2. A floor structure according to claim 1 wherein said plastic sheets are glued to the upper and lower surfaces of said wooden core and said plastic fillets are glued to the edges of said wooden core and to the edges of said plastic sheets.
 3. A floor structure according to claim 2 wherein said plastic fillets have a longitudinal wedge and are further connected to said wooden core by said longitudinal wedge.
 4. A floor structure according to claim 3 wherein said longitudinal wedge is barbed. 